Chapter 2: The present

Ashley’s POV

At this point, I was done. I turned toward the old woman with a polite smile, pretending to return my attention to the book in my hands. “Well, thank you for the interesting conversation, ma’am.”

“You’re welcome, child.”

I nodded and lowered my gaze to the page. I wasn’t sure whether she was a few screws short or simply enjoyed messing with unsuspecting strangers, but I had no intention of spending the next few hours entertaining her nonsense.

Besides, I had more important things to worry about. Like finishing my book. Or so I told myself. I stared at the same paragraph for several minutes without absorbing a single word. Eventually, I gave up.

I closed the book, and reached for my phone. A few minutes later, I glanced sideways and found the old woman fast asleep, her head tilted against the seat and her hands folded peacefully over her handbag.

Finally! I waited another minute to make sure she was truly asleep before grabbing the book. I unfastened my seat belt and rose quietly, clutching the book against my chest as I made my way down the aisle toward the restroom.

I wasn’t going to spend eight hours wondering whether there was something hidden inside the last page. If the woman was telling the truth, I’d find out. If she wasn’t, I’d finally have the satisfaction of proving that she’d been pulling my leg.

Either way, I would have my answer. As soon as I entered the restroom, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

“Okay, Ashley. Let’s get this over with.”

I brought the book out from underneath my shirt and stared at it. Then my heart began pounding. I frowned and pressed my palm against my chest.

What the hell? My heartbeat was suddenly so loud. A strange fluttering sensation rippled through my stomach, and the hairs on my arms stood on end.

I looked up at the mirror. My reflection stared back at me, looking just as confused as I felt.

“Oh, please!” I muttered, rolling my eyes at myself. “Don’t tell me you’ve started subscribing to that nonsense, too.”

I drew in a slow breath and examined the book. The leather cover. I ran my fingertips over its surface, tracing the elaborate patterns embossed into the dark brown material. Delicate spirals intertwined with strange symbols, forming a design that looked almost ancient. Near the edges, faint golden lines curled around one another, disappearing beneath the spine.

I turned it around. My fingers paused over the back cover. The old woman’s warning echoed in my head. If you are the destined reader, you mustn’t skip a single page.

I swallowed. “Oh, for goodness’ sake!”

With a decisive flick of my wrist, I opened the book to the very last page. And saw… absolutely nothing. I flipped it over, still nothing.

I stared at the blank page for another second before bursting into laughter. “You have got to be kidding me!” I shook my head and slapped the book shut. “I guess I’m not destined after all.”

I placed it beside the sink and turned on the tap. Cold water splashed against my palms, and I cupped some of it against my face. I straightened and wiped the water from my cheeks, staring at myself in the mirror.

“That woman actually had me for a second.” I snorted. “A present at the end of a book? A destined reader? What’s next? Am I going to grow wings?”

I felt ridiculous for having taken the whole thing seriously. I reached for the book, but I accidentally knocked it into the sink.

The book landed with a wet slap, its leather cover soaking up the water pooling around the drain. I snatched it up, dragged the hem of my shirt and began dabbing at the cover.

Suddenly, I stopped. Something shifted beneath my fingers. I frowned and pressed the back cover. There it was again. A small, solid object hidden somewhere inside the leather.

My hands stiffened. Slowly, I ran my fingertips over the area, feeling for the exact spot where the object was lodged. It seemed to be tucked between the outer leather and the inner lining.

I turned the book sideways and examined the spine. A tiny section of the leather had loosened from the moisture, exposing a narrow opening along the edge.

my heart raced faster. “No way.”

Could this be what the woman had been talking about? I carefully slipped my fingernail beneath the loose leather and peeled it back. The material resisted at first, but with a little patience, I managed to lift it enough to expose a small compartment.

And inside it lay a necklace. The chain was delicate, made of a strange, silvery metal that caught the light even in the dim restroom. At its end hung a circular pendant bearing the familiar yin-yang symbol.

The white half of the pendant was separated from the black half. Each half had a small, intricate design engraved into its surface, and a tiny circular indentation sat near the center of each piece.

I rubbed my thumb over the white half, then the black. I held it closer to the mirror, examining the strange pendant from every angle. It was beautiful, I’ll give it that. But was this seriously the grand present I’d been promised?

“Just a necklace?”

After all that mysterious talk, all that nonsense about destiny, I’d expected something a little more exciting. A winning lottery ticket, perhaps. Or a key to a secret fortune. Okay, maybe that was asking for too much.

Still, I couldn’t deny that the necklace was pretty. I slipped the chain over my head and adjusted it until the pendant rested against my chest. The metal felt cool against my skin now, and I found myself running my fingers over it almost absentmindedly.

I lifted the pendant and examined the edges. They seemed to fit together perfectly, as though someone had deliberately split the symbol into two pieces. I aligned the white half with the black one and pressed them together and it clicked in place. A complete yin-yang symbol now rested on my chest.

I smiled. “Not bad.”

Perhaps the necklace was more interesting than I’d initially thought. Maybe it was an antique. Maybe it had some historical significance. Or maybe it was just an elaborate piece of jewelry hidden inside an unusually designed book. Either way, it was mine now.

I lifted my chin and admired the necklace in the mirror. A slow grin spread across my face. “Oh, I cannot wait to see her face when I show her this!”

I gave the pendant one last look before letting it fall against my chest. “I guess I’m the destined reader.”

The words had barely left my mouth when the lights flickered. I stopped smiling. Then the entire restroom plunged into darkness for a split second before the lights sputtered back to life.